New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg found himself facing questions Thursday about why the city was paying for more than 100 vacant hotel rooms when thousands were displaced after Superstorm Sandy .

The rooms were reserved for storm victims who were pushed out of their homes by Sandy , which hit the area October 29 . According to Bloomberg 's office , a total of 1,014 people were housed in 416 rooms , while another 120 rooms designated as emergency housing were vacant .

`` We 've gone out and we 've gotten housing for people in case they might need it , but the wonderful thing is we have n't needed it so far , '' Bloomberg said Thursday .

`` We have hotel rooms in advance , particularly now because as you get toward the holiday season the hotel occupancy goes up , and if we need it -- and I hope we do n't -- we 're going to have those , '' he added .

That 's a surprise to Nicole Neal , whose whose apartment in the Queens neighborhood of Far Rockaway has n't had heat or power since the storm hit . `` I would go to the hotel , '' Neal told CNN on Thursday . `` It 's freezing in my apartment . I got to wear four pairs of socks every day . ''

Yisroel Schulman , president of the New York Legal Assistance Group , said scores of families are staying in cold , dark homes because they are concerned about looting or they do n't want to pull their children from school .

`` We believe strongly the minute that first snow hits , and it 's really cold , these people are going to need housing , '' Schulman said . `` It 's a very prudent move on apart of the city to have as much temporary housing as possible . ''

The city says canvassers have knocked on more than 12,600 doors to tell people that housing assistance is available for those who still lack heat , and they leave flyers on the doors of units where no one answers . Residents are being told about restoration centers where they can be connected with hotels if their heat is still out .

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Neal said she had not been contacted about the available hotel rooms . She has been staying with her mother in a crowded Brooklyn apartment while she awaits repairs to her apartment , where she said the walls are caving in and mold is growing on the walls .

She said the Federal Emergency Management Agency has given her $ 1,700 and that the city took over responsibility for the housing complex she lived in because the landlord abandoned it .

`` That 's why I am so mad , '' she said . `` We still do n't have lights . It 's crazy . ''

Bloomberg 's office said the city expects FEMA to reimburse it for the hotel rooms . FEMA spokesman Dan Watson told CNN that the agency would consider that , provided the city could provide some justification for the costs .

As of Wednesday , 473,785 households in New York and New Jersey had applied for disaster relief assistance with FEMA . While not all of the families were requesting housing assistance , officials said they continue to work with state and local officials to help all victims of the deadly storm .

Meanwhile , the agency started exploring the possibility of housing some displaced residents on boats , posting a request for information in hopes of finding rapid , cost-effective housing options on small vessels .

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FEMA said the purpose of the request was for market research only and to explore whether the maritime industry could offer viable options for residents who remain homeless . Officials said the vessels they requested ideally would sleep two to six adults , either as stand-alone boats or interconnected to create a single dwelling made of multiple units .

The request for information specifically said the agency is n't looking for cruise ships as a solution to the crisis caused by the colossal storm that pounded the Northeast last month . FEMA faced criticism from residents and politicians for its decision to house first responders and emergency personnel on cruise ships docked in New Orleans and other cities after Hurricane Katrina .

Sandy slammed ashore near Atlantic City , New Jersey after forming in the Caribbean and sweeping northward , killing a total of 182 people from Haiti to Canada .

It caused widespread flooding and damage and destroyed or damaged more than 30,000 homes and businesses in New Jersey alone , state officials said .

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said the latest estimates of Sandy-related storm costs in his state were $ 36.8 billion , while New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told reporters earlier this week the total cost in his state was $ 41 billion .

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NEW : New York paying for vacant hotel rooms for storm victims

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NEW : Bloomberg says they 're booked in advance as a precaution

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NEW : `` I would go to the hotel , '' Queens woman tells CNN

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FEMA asks about housing some storm victims on small boats